T is for Talkers; U is Utopia

T is for talkers. I like the witty. Literary wit is delightful but conversational fun is even better, to my mind. Perhaps, more accurately, I like the verbally sarcastic, inventive, playful. In my mind, I clump some people in the enviable “talker” category.

My thinking inevitably falls under the category of esprit d’escalier.

Talkers past: Oscar Wilde, G. B. Shaw, Isaac Asimov, Dorothy Parker, Mark Twain, P. G. Wodehouse, Lewis Carroll. (perhaps they were silent in ordinary conversation but I think some were not.)

Talkers present: Joss Whedon, Kevin Smith, Mohammad Ali, Emma Thompson, (there are lots and lots more but I can’t think of them.)

Mostly I think of people I’ve known over the years. The ones who were into whimsical, irreverent, inventive conversation were my favorites. Plus, they make for great mockamons.

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U is for Utopia. Utopias kinda of have bad press. Anytime you watch a show or read a book in which every one lives happily together, it’s gonna be bad. Real life utopian experiments didn’t work out well either.Still, I like the idea of imagining and working toward a peaceful, good way of living. Even if it only lasts until the secret killers swoop down and erase all evidence of happiness.Some excellent resources for learning more:

NY Public Library Utopia references

Directory to Utopia on the Internet

oops! pun not intended (but staying nonetheless…)